Herbert C. Brown Award for Creative Research in Synthetic Methods: Gregory C. Fu

Abstract

Sponsor: Purdue Borane Research Fund and the Herbert C. Brown Award Endowment Citation: For the development of nickel- and copper-catalyzed cross-coupling methods and of nucleophile-catalyzed enantioselective reactions. Current position: Norman Chandler Professor of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology Education: B.S., chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Ph.D., chemistry, Harvard University Fu on what he hopes to accomplish in the next decade: “During the next decade, we hope to provide general solutions to coupling a wide range of nucleophiles and alkyl electrophiles, including enantioconvergent processes. We believe that success in this area could be transformative for organic synthesis.” What his colleagues say: “Fu has made several pathfinding contributions to the development of synthetic methods that have impacted the way that chemists think about building organic molecules.”—Peter Dervan, California Institute of Technology.